Beverage infusion package



Nov. 18, 1958 J. R. GEISINGER 2,350,939

BEVERAGE, INFUSION PACKAGE Filed Feb. 12, 1957 IN VEN TOR.

Joan RG-msmd-Ez United States Patent BEVERAGE INFUSION PACKAGE John R. Geisinger, Grenloch, N. J. Application February 12, 1957, Serial No. 639,688

2 Claims. (Cl. 99--77.1)

This invention relates to beverage infusion packages, and more particularly to a tea bag provided with a cover which may be employed at times to surround the tea bag either protectively, or to protect adjacent I surfaces from being stained or contaminated thereby.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved beverage infusion package which is simple in construction, which is inexpensive to produce, and which serves as a protective cover for a bag of infusion material so that said bag is protected prior to use thereof, and so that the bag may be retained in the cover after it has been immersed in a liquid, to prevent contamination or damage to subjacent surfaces.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved beverage infusion package which is inexpensive to manufacture, which is neat in appearance, and which not only protects the infusion material contained therein, but also allows said infusion material to be employed in the most economical manner possible and without staining tables or other surfaces on which the package may be placed after initial use thereof.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tea bag package constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the blank from which the envelope of the package of Figure l is formed, indicating the manner in which the blank is folded to produce the envelope member.

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the envelope member is distorted to release the tea bag contained therein.

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the lower portion of the envelope member is folded upwardly to seal the package with the tea bag contained therein after the tea bag has been immersed in liquid, allowing the package to be deposited on any surface without risk of staining the surface.

Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating a modified form of envelope member and may be employed with the beverage infusion package of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 to 5, 11 generally designates a tea bag package according to this invention, the package comprising a relatively flat envelope 12 of flexible, substantially waterproof material, such as thin plastic sheet material, the envelope being normally open at its bottom and being sealed along its sides and along its top edge. Thus, the envelope 12 may be formed from a rectangular blank of thin sheet plastic material, preferably of transparent plastic material, shown in Figure 3, the rectangular blank having the intermediate major wall portion 13 and being folded along the vertical lines 14 and 15, to define respective side flaps 16 and 17. The side flaps 16 and 17 are respectively notched at their upper vertical edge portions, as shown at 18 and 19, the notches 18 and 19 being located so that they merge when the flaps are folded to overlapping positions, the notches being of sufiicient size so that a rectangular aperture 20 is thereby defined.

The marginal portions of the flaps 16 and 17 are' respectively coated with suitable adhesive material, asshown at 21 and 22, the overlapping surfaces of said marginal portions being thus coated, whereby the marginal portions of said overlapping surfaces may be adhesively secured together by folding the blank on the lines 14 and 15 to a substantially flat condition. The adhesive material 21 and 22 is preferably of the pressuresensitive type, so that the envelope may be formed by exerting pressure on the overlapping portions of the flaps 16 and 17 having the adhesive coatings 21 and 22 there- The lower portions of the flaps 16 and 17 are formed with the outwardly directed vertical pleats 23 and 24, and the lower portion of the major wall member 13 is formed with a similar outwardly directed vertical pleat at the lower portion of the envelope than at the upper portion, because of the provision of the pleats 23, 24 and 25. Thus, when the lower portions of the side edges of the envelope are squeezed together, as illustrated in Figure 4, the lower portion of the envelope bulges out a considerable amount at the opposite side walls of the envelope. causes the side walls to assume substantially flat configurations and to closely embrace an infusion package 27 disposed in the envelope, as shown in Figure 2.

Thus, the infusion package 27, which may, for example, be a tea bag, is provided at its lower end with the depending flexible string element 28 having a tag 29 secured to its end. Secured to an upper corner of the tea bag 27 is another flexible string element 30 which extends slidably through the aperture 20 and which has a tag 31 fastened to its outer end, the tag 31 being substantially larger than the aperture 20.

The envelope 12 is foldable at its lower portion along a fold line 32, so that the lower portion of the envelope may be at times folded upwardly to seal off the lower end of the envelope. For example, after the tea bag has been immersed in the hot water for a sufficient period of time, the tea bag may be replaced in the envelope and the envelope may be sealed by folding up the lower portion thereof, in the manner illustrated in Figure 5, so that the package may be safely placed-on a table or any other surface without danger of staining the table or other surface, and may be also safely handled by a person without danger of staining his hands.

The beverage infusion material, for example, tea in the tea bag 27, is normally enclosed in the envelope 12, as shown in Figure 1, the tag 29 depending from the bottom of the envelope and the tag 31 depending from the string element 30 which extends through the aperture 20. To use the tea bag, the envelope is grasped in the manner shown in Figure 4 and squeezing pressure is exerted on the lower portions of the opopsite side edges of the envelope, causing the walls of the envelope to flex outwardly, whereby the tea bag 27 is released and dropped into the hot water 36 contained in a tea cup 37 or similar recep- Patented Nov.- 18,- 1958- Normally, the resiliency -of the envelope tacle; The string 30 passesthrough the aperture 20, but the tag 31 is blocked and remains outside the envelope, as illustrated in Figure 4. The tag-'29 may be pulled, whereby to facilitate the descent of the tea bag 27 from the envelope. Said tag'may alsobe employed to lift the tea bag 27- out of the cup 37" after sufllcient infusion has taken place, the tagbeing supported on the rim'of the cup 37 during infusion, as shown in'Figure 4. Thereafter, the tea bag 27 may be'elevated' by means of'the tag 31 so that it is replaced in the envelope 12, and the bottom marginof the envelope may be then'folded over in the manner illustrated in Figure 5 to seal the bottom of the envelope'and to prevent liquid from the tea bag from escaping fromthe envelope. The package is thereafter safe to'handle and may be placed in any convenient location. The tea bag may beused again by unfolding the lower marginalportion thereof and allowing the tea bag to dro'p into' another tea cup 37, or other receptacle containing the hot water.

In the modification shown in Figure 6, the envelope designated at 12', comprises a sleeve-like body of suitable flexible material, such as transparent sheet plastic material, formed in the intermediate portion of one major wall thereof with a slot 13 and provided with a flap 14 adjacent thereto which may be adhesively secured on the opposite margin of the slot. The slot 13 is enlarged at its upper portion, to define a rectangular aperture 15', corresponding to the aperture of the envelope 12. The envelope 12 is used in the same manner as the envelope 12, and is sealed at its end edge, shown at 16. The envelope is open at its opposite end, as in the case of the previously described embodiment of the invention.

While certain specific embodiments of an improved beverage infusion package have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A beverage infusion package comprising a relatively flat envelope of flexible, substantially waterproof material open at its bottom edge and sealed along its other edges,

the lower portions of the walls of the envelope being formed with outwardly directed vertical pleats to render same more flexible than the upper portions of the walls, the upper portion of one wall of said envelope being formed with an aperture, a porous bag containing beverage infusion material, said bag being receivable in said envelope, a flexible string element secured to said bag and extending slidably through said aperture, and a tag on said string element, said tag being too large to pass through said aperture, the lower portion of the envelope being foldable upwardly when the bag is received in the envelope, whereby to substantially seal said lower portion.

2. A beverage infusion package comprising a relatively fiat envelope of flexible, substantially waterproof material open at its bottom edge and sealed along its other edges, the lower portions of the walls of the envelope being formed with outwardly directed vertical pleats to render same more flexible than the upper portions of the walls, the upper portion of one wall of said envelope being formed with an aperture, a porous bag containing beverage infusion material, said bag being receivable in said envelope, a first flexible string element secured to one end portion of the bag, a tag element secured to the end portion of said string element, a second flexible string element secured to the other end portion of the bag and extending slidably through said aperture, and a tag element on the end of said second flexible string element, said tag element being substantially larger than said aperture to prevent complete passage of the second string element through said aperture, the lower portion of the envelope being foldable upwardly when the bag is received in the envelope, whereby to substantially seal said lower portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,087,236 Anders July 20, 1937 2,199,406 Jablon May 7, 1940 2,334,156 Hansen Nov. 9, 1943 2,606,836 McCabe Aug. 12, 1952 2,698,082 Maloney Dec. 28, 1954 2,728,670 Young et al Dec. 27, 1955 

1. A BEVERAGE INFUSION PACKAGE COMPRISING A RELATIVELY FLAT EVELOPE OF FLEXIBLE, SUBSTANTIALLY WATERPROOF MATERIAL OPEN AT ITS BOTTOM EDGE AND SEALED ALONG ITS OTHER EDGES, THE LOWER PORTIONS OF THE WALLS OF THE ENVELOPE BEING FORMED WITH OUTWARDLY DIRECTED VERTICAL PLEATS TO RENDER SAME MORE FLEXIBLE THAN THE UPPER PORTIONS OF THE WALLS, THE UPPER PORTION OF ONE WALL OF SAID ENVELOPE BEING FORMED WITH AN APERTURE, A POROUS BAG CONTAINING BEVERAGE INFUSION MATERIAL, SAID BAG BEING RECEIVABLE IN SAID ENVELOPE, A FLEXIBLE STRING ELEMENT SECURED TO SAID BAG AND EXTENDING SLIDABLY THROUGH SAID APERTURE, AND A TAG ON SAID STRING ELEMENT, SAID TAG BEING TOO LARGE TO PASS THROUGH SAID APERTURE, THE LOWER PORTION OF THE ENVELOPE BEING FOLDABLE UPWARDLY WHEN THE BAG IS RECEIVED IN THE ENVELOPE, WHEREBY TO SUSBSTANTIALLY SEAL SAID LOWER PORTION. 